Petunia plant named ‘PEHY0001’

ABSTRACT

A new  Petunia  plant named ‘PEHY0001’ particularly distinguished by the small bold red-purple flowers, good floriferousness, medium green foliage, initially semi-compact and then an outwardly spreading plant habit, and is early to flower.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Petuniahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘PEHY0001’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Petunia, botanically known asPetunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘PEHY0001’.

‘PEHY0001’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas small bold red-purple flowers, good floriferousness, medium greenfoliage, initially semi-compact and then an outwardly spreading planthabit, and is early to flower.

‘PEHY0001’ originated from a hybridization made in August 2007 in acontrolled breeding environment in Gilroy, Calif. The female parent wasthe proprietary, unpatented plant designated ‘1789-2’, with largeramethyst colored flowers with more expressed veining and more uprightplant habit.

The male parent of ‘PEHY0001’ is a commercially available proprietaryvariety identified as ‘Pic Whit’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,182, with whiteflowers, somewhat more trailing plant habit and is more vigorous. Theresultant seed was sown in December 2007.

‘PEHY0001’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in the March 2008 in a controlled environment in Gilroy,Calif.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘PEHY0001’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inMarch 2008 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in March 2008, and continuing thereafter, has demonstratedthat the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for‘PEHY0001’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘PEHY0001’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onDec. 17, 2010, #10-7130 and the Community Plant Variety Office on Oct.15, 2010, #2010/2182. ‘PEHY0001’ has not been made publicly availablemore than one year prior to the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Petunia as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘PEHY0001’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The photographic drawing shows threeflowering plants of the new variety, and a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and were taken in Enkhuizen, TheNetherlands in summer 2009 from plants growing in a greenhouse. Theseplants were growing in 10 inch containers, 3 plants per container, about13-15 weeks of age.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in Gilroy, Calif. inlate April 2011 from plants grown in a breeder trial in the greenhouse.Plants were grown in 4.5 inch pots and were approximately 10 weeks ofage.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘PEHY0001’ AND A SIMILARVARIETY ‘Pic Rossa’ ‘PEHY0001’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,599) Flowercolor: Closest RHS N74A Closest RHS N66B Vigor: Has more vigor Has lessvigor Plant habit: More compact Less compact

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Initially semi-compact, to outwardly            spreading, vigorous, well branched habit, small foliage, and            good floriferiousness.        -   Plant height.—5.0-7.0 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—8.0-11.0 cm.        -   Plant width.—45.0-53.0 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate roots and produce a rooted            cutting.—18-23 days at about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, upper leaves sub-opposite.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 137A.            Lower surface: Closest to RHS 137C.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 137A.            Lower surface: Closest to RHS 137C.        -   Length.—1.9-2.5 cm.        -   Width.—0.9-1.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Base shape.—Attenuate.        -   Apex shape.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Hirsute; glandular hairs. Lower            surface: Hirsute; glandular hairs.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 144B;            indistinct in upper portion.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 144B;            indistinct in upper portion.        -   Petiole color.—Closest to RHS 144B.        -   Length.—0.15-0.25 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute; glandular hairs.-   Stem:    -   -   Color of stem.—Closest to RHS 143C.        -   Length of stem.—23.0-31.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—0.5-1.4 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute, some pilose, glandular hairs.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 143C.        -   Length of peduncle.—3.2-4.3 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute, some pilose, glandular hairs.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Flowers appear solitary in upper leaf axis.        -   Floret type.—Funnel-shaped; 5 lobed petals; fused at the            base; calyx, 5 deeply lobed sepals.        -   Blooming habit.—Continuous throughout the growing season.            Good floriferousness.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—About 125 plus            numerous buds.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—5-7 days.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Bud (just before opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 79C.        -   Length.—1.9-2.2 cm.        -   Width.—0.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblong.-   Immature inflorescence:    -   -   Diameter.—2.4-2.9 cm.        -   Color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS N81A but more blue-red            with RHS N79A mid-veins. Lower surface: RHS N81C with RHS            N81B margins.-   Mature inflorescence:    -   -   Floret horizontal diameter.—3.2-3.5 cm.        -   Vertical depth.—3.5-3.7 cm.        -   Petal color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS N74A with RHS            N77A mid-veins. Lower surface: RHS N74C with RHS N74B            margins and RHS N77A mid-veins.        -   Petal apex shape.—Slightly retuse.        -   Petal base shape.—Fused.        -   Petal margin.—Entire.        -   Waviness of petals.—Slight.        -   Petal lobation.—Moderate.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Papillose. Under surface:            Papillose.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—Closest to RHS 86A with RHS N77A            mid-veins, and heavily veined with RHS 83B and RHS 83B.            Outside: RHS 77B but greyer with RHS N77B mid-veins and RHS            N77C veining.        -   Corolla tube length.—2.2-2.5 cm.        -   Corolla texture, outside.—Pilose, glandular hairs. Inside:            Papillose-   Calyx:    -   -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 143B. Lower surface: RHS 143B.        -   Length.—0.7-0.9 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Narrowly elliptical.        -   Apex shape.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous. Lower surface: Hirsute,            pilose, glandular hairs.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistil.—1.        -   Length.—1.7-1.9 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 144C but slightly lighter hue, with about            RHS N186B just below the stigma.        -   Style length.—0.9 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 147C to RHS 147D.        -   Ovary color.—Closest to RHS 143C and slightly darker just            below the style.        -   Stamens.—5.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 145D basally with uppers a shade of            RHS N66C or RHS N66D just below the anthers.        -   Length filaments.—1.5-2.0 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS N187D.        -   Anther length.—0.15 cm.        -   Anther shape.—Ovoid.        -   Color of pollen.—RHS N187C.        -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this hybrid.-   Disease/pest resistance: Disease/pest resistance has not been    observed on this hybrid.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Petunia plant named‘PEHY0001’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.